Town of Atirro

Atirro is a town in the district of La Switzerland, in the canton of Turrialba, in the province of Cartago, in Costa Rica.

Toponymy

Its name derives from an indigenous king.

History

Indigenous reduction

In the past it was an indigenous settlement of Costa Rica, founded by the Spanish at the time of the House of Austria, on the banks of the Atirro River, about 15 kilometers from the current city of Turrialba.

17th to 20th centuries

Until 1660 it belonged to the Turrialba District and later came under the authority of the governor of Costa Rica. Since that time, different crops were developed, such as banana and plantain plantations in the early 1900s, later the cultivation of coffee and then (until today) the cultivation of sugar cane.

At the beginning of the 20th century the first Swiss consulate in the country was housed in Atirro.

Economy

The town of Atirro is home to a sugar industry called Ingenio Atirro, which annually processes about 4% of the country's sugar production and a mill (Beneficio Grano de Oro) and coffee roaster (Café Hacienda Real).

1. ↑ « Postal Code». Correos de Costa Rica. Consultation on 6 September 2020.